- Heaths Countryside Corridor!

Chilston Park
Pines and Ponds
Home to man man of Kent, a Mano
ya
Valle
e
h
t
n
Betwee
r, farm and open
space
y and the Downs ...
This is a Sweetly Watered Place
This booklet has been produced to summarise and add context to some recent work
carried out by the Mid Kent Downs Countryside Partnership and the Heaths
Countryside Corridor Trust. The Wandering and Wondering Project funded by the
Heritage Lottery Fund enable a Memories Event and further historical research by
local arts group TRADS. Much of this information was incorporated into an outdoor performance interpreting and celebrating key aspects of the history of Chilston
Park and local peoples’ memories of the area. There’s still a lot more to discover! Contents
1-2
3-4
5-6
7-8
9-10
11
Historical Background
1800s Map
Local Memories
Archaeology, The Ice House
A Sweetly Watered Performance!
How to find out more
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1
Chilston Park 1709 by T Badeslade
A Magnificent Manor?
Chilston Park was once extensive and grand. The drawing from the early 1700s
shows the grandeur and the level of intricate land management undertaken in the
area at the time, although we can’t be sure it’s completely accurate. This was a
time when Manor Houses provided a huge level of employment and drew people
from far and wide for work. The original estate dates back to the 1700s although the main facade of the
house that we know today dates to the 1800s. As with any estate this old there
have been several reworks of both building and land, with various alterations to
the natural hydrology. For example the ‘old canal’ was drained and the ponds
were landscaped by Thomas Best some time in the 18th Century, probably giving
the Chilston ‘ice-pond’ its very uniform round shape that it keeps today (see the
1800s map over the page). Can you imagine the peaceful tranquility? Looking across the ice -pond in days gone by, before the M20 was built. The natural springs throughout this area would have drawn people across the ages
for the basic functions of life: washing, drinking, industry. The relative shelter given
by the Downs and the Greensand Ridge would have made this a particularly pleasant
place to be, especially before it became a major transport route. 2
Chilston Park 1802
The Ice Pond
3
Hayes B
a
ank
, kn
o wn b y H
CC
a
s ‘Th
e Pin
es’
Approximate
route the Rail
Link now takes
Approximate
route the M20
now takes
4
Local Memories
The Heritage Lottery Funded ‘Wandering and Wondering’ project led by the Heaths
Countryside Corridor Trust involved some local research into memories of Chilston
Park in lifetimes of those who still live here. To many, the story of the M20 build is still very distressing. The large scale works cut directly through an area of great heritage value - of personal significance to many
people. The landowner who had farmed this area for many years kept a photographic
record of the works and the veteran trees that were lost. February 1989 View SE down through Hayes Bank
This picture shows Hayes Bank,
with the pines that remain today
to the left. The central part of the
picture is now motorway ...
It was the further construction of
the CTRL that led to the Northern
segments of the land being
purchased by the Heaths Corridor
Trust, for use by local people. Summer 1989, original access looking toward ice-house
5
Below: ‘Doomed’
Wellingtonia from North
Hayes Bank (from The Pines). In older memories...
One Lenham resident remembers that the reason his ancestors moved to the area
was to find work at the Chilston Estate. There would have been plenty of jobs both
in the house, and the landscaped grounds. Indeed there are likely to be more
families who owe their current residence in the area to the history of the grand
Estate.
Austin Chapman remembers great detail
of the park, from playing here as a child. The veteran trees seemed to provide quite
a draw for young explorers and tree
climbers alike; he says of one hollow old
tree: ‘once inside it had the feeling of
being on the battlements of a castle
turret, with lots of little nooks and crannies for storing imaginary weapons’. He also remembers the ice house quite differently to our present-day experience: ‘a small opening in the side of a bank, which you could climb into . . and there was
a small aperture in the top. To us it was like a tiny cave in the side of the bank,
none of the now exposed brick work could be seen though there were a few large
stones lying around. We often speculated as to its purpose, in our imagination its
possible uses included a World War II air raid shelter or the opening of a secret
tunnel which we imagined had at some point connected to the house.’
Nobby Colbran remembers being not
sure what to do with his rifle after
WWII and eventually deciding to
sink it into the ice pond! (then ‘The
Lily Pond’). He also contributed this
lovely photo of ‘The Ponds’ site taken
in the early 1900s.
Other local people remember fishing for perch in the ice-pond and sheltering in
the ice house when it rained. In the end, Lord Chilston instructed that the
structure be filled with earth for the safety of children and livestock. Do you have any memories of the area to share? (see the back page).
6
The Ice-House & Ice-Pond
The Wandering and Wondering project also funded some archaeologicial
investigations at ‘The Ponds’. An enthusiastic group of Young Archaeologists,
together with Lenham Archaeological Society and the Trust for Thanet Archaeology
undertook some busy days digging on site. Whilst there were several investigations across the site, the main area of interest
was the ice house, probably first constructed in the 17th Century. Excavations uncovered some of the original facade: the typical arched entrance way
as shown on page 2. The diagram shows a representation of how the shaft and main
body of the house may once have been, drawn from memory. The main function was
to store ice gathered from the ice pond . The use was probably used to supply the
Chilston Manor House kitchens for the preservation of food and for making luxuries
like ice-cream!
Where once the house would have been full of ice, at least over winter, these
internal sections are now filled with earth. Of course the ice-pond and the
surrounding area are now an important site for the nationally rare ‘Great Crested
Newt’. So whilst it’s tempting to lift stones and logs around the site looking for
more historic treasures, please don’t as this could cause significant disturbance to
our valued inhabitants.
7
The sketch of Chilston Manor Ice House as remembered by Malcolm Taylor.
Ice cart
Cap ‘stone’ now on
bank below door
Exposed brickwork
Original
Brickwork crown
of entrance
broken for infilling grass level tunnel roof
Ragstone
wall
Top of infilling
Entrance
tunnel
Door
Door in North
wing wall
8
Door in North Top of existing
ragstone wall
wing wall
South wing wall
A Sweetly Watered Performance!
To bring the special character of this historic part of the Lenham landscape to life, a
special outdoor play was written and performed by local people and traditional arts
group TRADS in Summer 2012; and yes, it rained! A lot of research went into the
work, which told the story of the various inhabitants of the parkland estate over the
centuries and how they made their mark on the landscape. We were lucky enough
to have use of the Chilston Park Hotel grounds for the day, emphasising the
grandness of the tale and placing Chilston Pines and Ponds in their original and
rightful setting.
The performance told the story of the various inhabitants of the parkland estate
over the centuries and how they made their mark on the house and the landscape
that surrounds. A scullery maid tells of her experiences at Chilston Park during the Second World War. The audience also heard about the lives of ordinary people who lived and worked
on the Estate, and the wetland wildlife which has always been important here. Only the damp British weather interrupted the serenity of the afternoon ... that and
the thunderous arrival of the M20 in one of the parting scenes! The script can be
found on the HCC website for anyone wishing to use it. 9
An innocent school visit led to some
real life encounters with historical
characters ...
Left, William Fitzhamon introducing one of the
dances: ‘Welcome all! Join with me William
Fitzhamon, younger son of Hamo de Crevacoeur
of Leeds Castle, to celebrate the completion of my
manor in this year 1135. I have named it ‘ChiddleThe story of the landscape was stone’, meaning ‘dwelling of the younger son’.
enhanced through song:
‘O see you where this valley lies
between the Downs and Weald. Where human feet have left their
mark on every wood and field’ Left: The Auctioneer reads out the estate lots sold
in 1948, when the third Viscount Chilson found he
didn’t need such a large estate: ‘Lot 1 Malt House Farm, Lot 2 Kiln Wood, Lot 3
Home Farm, Lot 7 Sandpit at Lenham Heath, Lot
15 House and land at Leading Cross Green, Lot 18
Field at Warren Street, Lot 26 Elmstone Hole Farm,
Lot 31 Bowley Mill,
Lot 32 The White Horse Inn, Lot 34 The Duke of Wellington and land, Lots 38, 39 and
40 allotment land in Lenham, Lot 48 Garden in Lenham Square together with shooting
rights North of Pilgrims Road.’
10
To find out more about Chilston Pines and Ponds, to contribute any information
or to become a member visit the Heaths Countryside Corridor website: www.heathscc.co.uk or find us on Facebook.
This information was put together by the Mid Kent Downs Countryside Partnership
on behalf of the Heaths Countryside Corridor as part of the Heritage Lottery Funded
‘Wandering and Wondering Project’.
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The Mid Kent Downs Countryside Partnership - Linking People, Land and Nature